My Home Care Story
Thank you SEIU for sponsoring this post.
If you don’t know my brother, let me tell you a few words that instantly come to mind:
Smart
Annoyed (by me & my affection for him!)
Curious
Drink snatcher
Hilarious
Naive in thinking he is slick enough to think we don’t know when he’s cussing us out
My younger brother has been non-verbal nearly his whole life. He is both Autistic and has spina bifida. And he has always, always been my buddy. And I’ve always been his advocate.
While I don’t treat my brother any differently than my other siblings, the truth is - he has more needs that must be met in order to maintain the quality of life he deserves.
That’s one of the many reasons in-home care services are so important to people like him and to families like mine.
It’s why I have to speak up and amplify this message.
Because not only is it difficult to find, get approved and sign-up for in-home care, there is also a dark underbelly to what’s been going on within the industry.
Did you know that 90% of home care workers are women, and more than 60% are people of color & 31% are immigrants.
You won’t be surprised to hear me say next, that the shameful legacy of racism and sexism have created & perpetuated a false narrative that care giving is simply “unskilled women’s work”.
To which I honestly have to laugh at (largely so I don’t scream). Home care is actually the opportunity for my brother to be himself, be engaged and live his life in a manner that allows him to be his version of a self-sufficient adult.
And it gives my mom/parents a much needed break.
Because my mom (and more importantly my brother) deserve a break. But how can that happen… well...
How about this little statistic: Today, 20 million adults require some type of in-home assistance to complete self-care and daily tasks. Yet, from 2018-2028, 4.4 million home care job openings will need to be filled in order to consider meeting that demand.
Why so many? Why the gap? Welp… the national median hourly wage for homecare workers is $12.12 with an annual earning of $17,200.
Who can live on that?
And this is for a profession that is just essential and considered frontline healthcare, but a profession of skilled healthcare workers who provide compassionate, dedicated care to seniors, people with disabilities, and millions of others who rely on home healthcare to live safely & independently at home.
People like my brother shouldn’t have to rely on his aging parents for care.
He deserves access, dignity and independence.
And homecare workers deserve pay, respect, and protection for the amazing, selfless work they do.
It’s essential healthcare.
It’s an essential service.
To my brother.
To my family.
To our communities.
We all deserve the peace of mind that our loved ones are (and can be) cared for.
The question is then…. Will you help elevate homecare workers and the communities they serve?
Visit CareIsEssential.org to learn more about home care workers — who they are, what they do, and why they are fighting for the respect, protection and pay they deserve. Click here to show your support for home care workers.